INDIA'S FUTURE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 1, 1 July 1935, Page 11

INDIA'S FUTURE

DIVERSE PROBLEMS

IMPROVED CONDITIONS

• "After having lived in India for some 14 years, one is greatly impressed by the magnificent work that has been done for India by Government officials," said the Rev. J, L. Gray, a missionary of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand in the Punjab, India, who is visiting Wellington on furlough. "The problems facing the Government in the future are difficult and diverse." • "There is first of all the communal hatred which undoubtedly exists between the Hindu and Mohammedan population. There are approximately 215 million Hindus of various castes and some 70 million Mohammedans, and these' two communities are divided religiously, racially, and culturally; and there is no doubt that were it not for the strong hand of the British rule the outbreaks of bloodshed between these two communities would be almost unthinkable. Even Mr. Gandhi's efforts have been quite unsuccessful in bringing them together. ONE REASON FOR POVERTY. "Another problem is the poverty of India, especially of rural India," Mr. Gray continued. "The* reasons for poverty in India are many, but there can be no doubt that one of the main reasons is the lavish expenditure of even poor people on marriage ceremonies, for which they borrow money at rates of interest varying from 25 to 75 per cent. The result is that there is never any possibility of their paying oft: the principal, and the money-lender has a sort of perpetual right over the debtor and the members of his family. The Government lias tried, through co-operative societies, to improve things, with some measure of success, but very little can I be done until the people themselves) are willing to forsake foolish and tmj necessary expenditure. i "Then there is another problem— illiteracy. Although the Government has a good educational system, there is a strange apathy on the part of rural populations about sending tlieir children to schools which do exist.' There is a demand for a new type of education which shall be more of a vocational and technical nature. The more scholastic education has produced thousands of half-educated young men who cannot secure work in any capacity. WORK OF THE CHURCH. "The New Zealand Presbyterian Church, in its mission work, is trying to meet the needs of the rural area in which it works," said Mr. Gray. "We have a well-equipped hospital, where some 30,000 patients are treated yearly. Good Christian schools, where a type of vocational training is given to boys and girls, have, been established; and there is an industrial school where Christian lads are trained in such occupations as tailoring, carpentry, goldsmithing, and motor engineering. Thus the Presbyterian' Church hopes to' make some little contribution to the life and progress of a great land." ._^ '